HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1794        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 741

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Evandro C. Carvalho

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act eliminating mandatory minimum sentences related to drug offenses.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Evandro C. Carvalho

5th Suffolk

1/19/2017

José F. Tosado

9th Hampden

 

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

 

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

 

Kenneth I. Gordon

21st Middlesex

 

Carmine L. Gentile

13th Middlesex

 

Ruth B. Balser

12th Middlesex

 

Jack Lewis

7th Middlesex

 

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

 

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

 

Jay R. Kaufman

15th Middlesex

 

Solomon Goldstein-Rose

3rd Hampshire

 

Natalie Higgins

4th Worcester

 

Linda Dorcena Forry

First Suffolk

 

Frank I. Smizik

15th Norfolk

 

Dylan Fernandes

Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket

 

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

 

Christine P. Barber

34th Middlesex

 

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

 

Carlos González

10th Hampden

 

John J. Lawn, Jr.

10th Middlesex

 

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

 

Michelle M. DuBois

10th Plymouth

 

Antonio F. D. Cabral

13th Bristol

 

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

 

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

 

Paul R. Heroux

2nd Bristol

 

Byron Rushing

9th Suffolk

 

Gerard Cassidy

9th Plymouth

 

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

3rd Berkshire

 

John J. Mahoney

13th Worcester

 

Jay D. Livingstone

8th Suffolk

 

Daniel Cullinane

12th Suffolk

 

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

 

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

 

Bud Williams

11th Hampden

 

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

 

Daniel J. Ryan

2nd Suffolk

 

Aaron Vega

5th Hampden

 

Michael S. Day

31st Middlesex

 

Daniel J. Hunt

13th Suffolk

 

Jonathan Hecht

29th Middlesex

 

Elizabeth A. Malia

11th Suffolk

 

James J. O'Day

14th Worcester

 

Sonia Chang-Diaz

Second Suffolk

 

Adrian Madaro

1st Suffolk

 

Michael J. Moran

18th Suffolk

 

Peter V. Kocot

1st Hampshire

 

William N. Brownsberger

Second Suffolk and Middlesex

 

Chynah Tyler

7th Suffolk

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1794        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 741

By Mr. Carvalho of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 741) of Evandro C. Carvalho and others relative to eliminating mandatory minimum sentences related to drug offenses.  The Judiciary.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1620 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act eliminating mandatory minimum sentences related to drug offenses.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 32 of chapter 94C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by

(a)Striking out the words “less than one thousand nor” in subsection (a);

(b)Striking out the words “less than 3 ½ nor” in subsection (b) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than twenty-five thousand dollars;

(c)Repealing subsection (c).

SECTION 2. Section 32A of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by

(a)Striking out the words “less than one thousand nor” in subsection (a);

(b)Striking out the words “less than 2 nor” in subsection (b) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than twenty-five thousand dollars;

(c)Striking out the words “less than two and one-half nor” and the words “less than one nor” in subsection (c) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than ten thousand dollars;

(d)Striking out the words “less than 3 ½ nor” and further the words “less than two thousand five hundred nor” and further the words “but not in lieu of the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment, as established herein” in subsection (d)

(e)Repealing subsection (e).

SECTION 3. Section 32B of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by

(a)Striking out the words “less than five hundred nor” in subsection (a);

(b)Striking out the words “less than two and one-half nor” and the words “less than 18 months nor” in subsection (b) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than ten thousand dollars;

(c)Repealing subsection (c).

SECTION 4. Section 32C of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by

(a)Striking out the words “less than five hundred nor” in subsection (a);

(b)Striking out the words “less than one nor” and further the words “less than one thousand nor” in subsection (b).

SECTION 5. Section 32D of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by

(a)Striking out the words “less than two hundred and fifty nor” in subsection (a);

(b)Striking out the words “less than five hundred nor” in subsection (b).

SECTION 6. Subsection (a) of section 32E of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by

(a)Striking out the words “less than two and one-half nor” and the words “less than one nor” in paragraph (1) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than ten thousand dollars;

(b)Striking out the words “less than 2 nor” in paragraph (2) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than twenty-five thousand dollars;

(c)Striking out the words “less than 3 ½ nor” in paragraph (3) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than fifty thousand dollars;

(d)Striking out the words “less than 8 nor” in paragraph (4) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than two hundred thousand dollars;

SECTION 7. Subsection (b) of section 32E of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by

(a)Striking out the words “less than 2 nor” in paragraph (1) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than twenty-five thousand dollars;

(b)Striking out the words “less than 3 ½ nor” in paragraph (2) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than fifty thousand dollars;

(c)Striking out the words “less than 8 nor” in paragraph (3) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than one hundred thousand dollars;

(d)Striking out the words “less than 12 nor” in paragraph (4) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than fifty thousand dollars;

SECTION 8. Subsection (c) of section 32E of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by

(a)Striking out the words “less than 3 ½ nor” in paragraph (1) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than fifty thousand dollars;

(b)Striking out the words “less than 5 nor” in paragraph (2) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than fifty thousand dollars;

(c)Striking out the words “less than 8 nor” in paragraph (3) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than one hundred thousand dollars;

(d)Striking out the words “less than 12 nor” in paragraph (4) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than five hundred thousand dollars;

SECTION 9.  Subsection (d) of section 32E of said chapter 94C is hereby repealed.

SECTION 10. Section 32F of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by

(a)Striking out the words “less than five nor” in subsection (a) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than twenty-five thousand dollars;

(b)Striking out the words “less than three nor” in subsection (b) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than twenty-five thousand dollars;

(c)Striking out the words “less than two and one-half nor” and the words “less than two nor” in subsection (c) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than twenty-five thousand dollars;

(d)Striking out the words “less than five nor” in subsection (d) and further striking the second sentence in the said subsection and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than twenty-five thousand dollars;

SECTION 11. Section 32G of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the words “less than two hundred and fifty nor.”

SECTION 12. Section 32 H of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking this section in its entirety.

SECTION 13. Section 32I of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by

(a)Striking out the words “less than one nor” and the words “less than five hundred nor” in subsection (a);

(b)Striking out the words “less than three nor” and the words “less than one thousand nor” in subsection (b);

(c)Striking out the words “less than fifty nor” in subsection (c).

SECTION 14. Section 32J of said chapter 94c, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the section in its entirety and replacing it with the following:-

Section 32J. Any person who violates the provisions of section thirty-two, thirty-two A, thirty-two B, thirty-two C, thirty-two D, thirty-two E, thirty-two F or thirty-two I while in or on, or within 300 feet of the real property comprising a public or private accredited preschool, accredited headstart facility, elementary, vocational, or secondary school if the violation occurs between 5:00 a.m. and midnight, whether or not in session, or within one hundred feet of a public park or playground shall be punished by a term of imprisonment in the state prison for not more than fifteen years or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than two and one-half years. A fine of not more than ten thousand dollars may be imposed. In accordance with the provisions of section eight A of chapter two hundred and seventy-nine such sentence shall begin from and after the expiration of the sentence for violation of section thirty-two, thirty-two A, thirty-two B, thirty-two C, thirty-two D, thirty-two E, thirty-two F or thirty-two I. Lack of knowledge of school boundaries shall not be a defense to any person who violates the provisions of this section.

SECTION 15. Section 32K of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the words “less than five years nor” and further striking the second sentence in said section and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No sentence imposed under the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of more than one hundred thousand dollars.

SECTION 16. Section 34 of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the words “less than two and one-half years nor” in the third sentence of the first paragraph.

SECTION 17. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a person serving a sentence for violating any provisions of Chapter 94C or charged with such a violation but a guilty plea has not been accepted nor a conviction entered as of the effective date of this act shall be eligible to receive deductions from his sentence for good conduct under Sections 129C and 129D of Chapter 127.

SECTION 18. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a person serving a sentence for violating any provisions of Chapter 94C or charged with such a violation but a guilty plea has not been accepted nor a conviction entered as of the effective date of this section shall be eligible to participate in education, training, employment or work release programs established pursuant to Sections 49, 49B, 49C, 86F and 86G of Chapter 127.

SECTION 19. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a person serving a sentence for violating any provisions of Chapter 94C or charged with such a violation but a guilty plea has not been accepted nor a conviction entered as of the effective date of this section shall not be eligible for parole until he or she has served 1/2 of the mandatory minimum sentence.